The dream of a perfect car is promised much but seldom delivered.
What constitutes the perfect car? The right balance and a perfect synergy of dynamics , looks and efficiency?

BMW will revise the term much used in past success "Die neue Klasse" to welcome it's new F10 5er the 6th generation model of the highly successful and important mid class sedan (or if you perceive history the 7th generation if you include the predecessor to the 5er the BMW 1500.

The new 5er will of course replace the successful and avantgarde looking E60 series of the BMW 5er and will be an all new car from the ground up although with the advent of the BMW 5er Gran Turismo although a member of the same family on the exterior surface there are few areas shared with the 5er . Door Mirrors , Side indicator lights and door handles are the relatively evident components indentified between the 5er and the 5er Gran Turismo.

Every body panel is unique to the 5er as BMW claim the 5er Gran Turismo is a stand alone premium concept. The new 5er in design brief was to produce a car that looks expensive but more modern and proportionate than a typical mid segment sedan.
The low roofline and short overhangs are typical of this approach and in general the car is evenly proportioned with a wider track to accomodate larger wheelarches which was a visual problem with the E60 when run on 16" or 17" wheels because it made the car look heavy which meant to have the car looking perfect the optional 18" wheels had to be applied to show the proportions of the modern appearence of the E60.

The 5er preserves the exclusivity of a new BMW and avoids duplicating the 7er's look as a smaller 7er or the phrase known as "One sausage different lengths" BMW have made the new 5er express a dynamic looking appearence that will not only be individual from it's inhouse family but also amongst it's competitors. The more dynamic styling expresses an intent to disguise the heavy look seen in a mid segment sedan. The wider track also contributes to the integrated wider twin kidney grille. More compact but wider than the 5er Gran Turismo or the BMW 7er.
The wider grille adds more visual to the cars low and wide appearence.

To make the car really stand out will be in the driving and the reduction of weight from one generation to the next. BMW needed a new solution that would help take weight from it's cars and the inclusion of a press hardening process at the 5er's production base will make this highly evident. Body shells and platforms can be made lighter and stronger using this new process. additional areas of the car such as water pumps and transmission cases and suspension mounts have also been made out of lighter materials with the new car retaining it's typical BMW 50/50 Weight distribution.

Efficient Dynamics will be highly featured in the next generation 5er with the usual features now taken for granted but new developments will also feature such as specially designed aerodynamically designed wheels that will now become a cornerstone of Efficient Dynamics.
These are very important because they help with the airflow around the car and contributes to improvements in fuel efficiency.

In light of future legislation BMW have been following especially in regards to the outcome of incentives to people who buy cleaner cars for city environments and the answer BMW have been development is the next phase of it's Active Hybrid series.
BMW will offer two Active Hybrid 5er's one will use the same "mild" hybrid technology as the 7er - The Active Hybrid 5 and the other The Active Hybrid 5d, will use the same system as the Active Hybrid X6 but will replace the V8 for a 3.0d.

Taking into consideration the excellent commendations taken to the 5er Gran Turismo , Interior quality is one feature BMW have taken very close scrutiny to. Although there are some marginal differences in appearance from the Gran Turismo for example the driver is not as semi commanding as the GT and they do not inherit the shelf like ridge which will be a more of a facia than a ridge. The interior takes it's cues from the 7er as a beginning but since the interior has been praised for it's egronomics and design it is only fitting the 5er receives the same kind of dashboard.
Quality will be on the same level and premise as the 5er Gran Turismo meaning high quality of materials , high quality graphics and superior solid construction.

BMW knows where the 5er should be positioned when it comes to dynamics and as an evolutionary cycle other cars come along some good , some not so good to take the crown. And if you factor in the approach some manufacturers go to lengths to strengthen their sporting credentials when their cars are anything but. BMW has focused on this as a priority for the new 5er and have developed a very athletic car with deeply disguised sporting intentions. There are some cars out there that look like mundane barges but have a very jekyll and hyde character when you drive them it's this that BMW want you to see when you see the 5er that it looks dynamic, it looks sporting but is it?

Take your seat.

By working with lighter materials especially within the suspension have allowed the engineers to offer a car that has a character you would only expect with a BMW but with a few surprises especially within the steering and composure , BMW want to retain the 5er's segment with the 5er surpassing the competition that has regained the 5er's crown.

BMW wants the F10 to be seen as car that carries all the BMW attributes from previous 5er generations translated and successfully integrated into the new car. BMW want to get back to building a car that is not just a BMW by name and nature but by going back to the beginning of the 1500 Neue Klasse and BMW's traditional values as a different kind of car
company.

Wow I am very impressed by this car, in fact i'm floored. It looks like the 550i will be a winner for BMW from a design point of view and I know they are going to bring turbo power to the car as well. Does anyone know what engines will be in the lineup of cars to hit the US? I assume a 535i will be there and a 550i, but any other engines?

From a design POV im particularly impressed that they went with a Concept CS style hood that is on the GT as well, its like a more flowing and raked design of the classic E39 hood with its prominent central hump that can be seen from any angle and is characteristic..... I love it and think its perfect. The front grills also look very prominent and classic in shape which is a must in order to keep the cars identitiy as a BMW. The headlights we are still yet to see but I think they will be unique as compared to the rest of the BMW lineup as BMW did with the E60. I think the top will be sharp and crisp but not overtly overly doneup as the E60 was.

The body goes back to the nice inverted V shape when looking at the car from the front or back and that gives a very sporty look to the car IMO, I didnt like how the E60 gave that up and could look like a refrigerator from certain angles (dont get me wrong, im a big fan of the E60!). What I mean is this shape when you look from the rear

/-----\
/_____\

You get the idea

From the rear, the car looks well put together with little perceptible gaps and should look chunky and solid. WHat im not completly sold on are the rear taillights which look far too angular from what we are seeing so far. It could be that rounded details are simply masked from sight but I hope the rear lights are not completly angular as it will look very similar to the just released E Class which I don't particularly like

Wow I am very impressed by this car, in fact i'm floored. It looks like the 550i will be a winner for BMW from a design point of view and I know they are going to bring turbo power to the car as well. Does anyone know what engines will be in the lineup of cars to hit the US? I assume a 535i will be there and a 550i, but any other engines?

From a design POV im particularly impressed that they went with a Concept CS style hood that is on the GT as well, its like a more flowing and raked design of the classic E39 hood with its prominent central hump that can be seen from any angle and is characteristic..... I love it and think its perfect. The front grills also look very prominent and classic in shape which is a must in order to keep the cars identitiy as a BMW. The headlights we are still yet to see but I think they will be unique as compared to the rest of the BMW lineup as BMW did with the E60. I think the top will be sharp and crisp but not overtly overly doneup as the E60 was.

The body goes back to the nice inverted V shape when looking at the car from the front or back and that gives a very sporty look to the car IMO, I didnt like how the E60 gave that up and could look like a refrigerator from certain angles (dont get me wrong, im a big fan of the E60!). What I mean is this shape when you look from the rear

/-----\
/_____\

You get the idea

From the rear, the car looks well put together with little perceptible gaps and should look chunky and solid. WHat im not completly sold on are the rear taillights which look far too angular from what we are seeing so far. It could be that rounded details are simply masked from sight but I hope the rear lights are not completly angular as it will look very similar to the just released E Class which I don't particularly like

I actually agree with your descriptions, the athletic design qualities of this car will keep in line with a modern interpretation of classic BMW design which is the way it should be, those other cars like the GT are just distractions, but when it comes to the bread and butter cars BMW is going to stick to the tried and true heritage type of stuff

As for engines I heard that they will use the new single turbo 6 cylinder engine that they debuted with the 5 series GT called the N55http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266514. Its a single turbo but pretty much has the same performance characteristics as the current twin turbo in the 535i, 335i and 135i. I don't think the exact specifics of the 550i are known yet and will probably be a highly guarded secret until launch but it should be anything but unspectacular with that raw V8 feeling we know and love

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topless 335i

Can't wait to get one as an M5. When's the ETA?

I've been reading that it will skip the next major autoshow which is frankfurt and will arrive at the geneva autoshow. But this car looks very production ready so BMW might be trying to fool everyone and it will actualy appear at the frankfurt show, we shall see, but the safe bet is on geneva for now. Either way, im sure it will be on dealer lots next spring/summer..

Ive seen probably every single spyshot there is for the F10 and I can't say I've seen a bad angle yet. I think we've all seen enough pics now where you can pretty much make out the exact shape of the body. Only thing left are the smaller details -- lights especially will be important in how the end product looks. But judging by the latest BMWs like the Z4 and 7-series I don't think we'll be disappointed by the lighting elements and shapes!

One thing I'm curious though is the wheels. In these pics http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292201 we saw some great looking wheels also on a 550i which I hoped would be standard on the 550. But the pics posted in this thread has less impressive wheels... wonder why the difference.

Thats interesting but they already used the Orion Silver for the Z4 and the GT, I think enough is enough with that color? I doubt most owners will buy that color either.

Agreed. I'd love to see a more vibrant color like the deep sea blue metallic they used for the Z4. The marketing/promotional material and commercials looked so much better IMO. But, as the 5-series is traditionally a more stately sedan type of car, we just may end up seeing a silver/bronze type color as the launch car color (crossing fingers against it happening though )

I'm just glad that we're close enough to the unveiling of this car that we're already discussing launch car colors!

The body goes back to the nice inverted V shape when looking at the car from the front or back and that gives a very sporty look to the car IMO, I didnt like how the E60 gave that up and could look like a refrigerator from certain angles (dont get me wrong, im a big fan of the E60!). What I mean is this shape when you look from the rear

/-----\
/_____\

You get the idea

From the rear, the car looks well put together with little perceptible gaps and should look chunky and solid. WHat im not completly sold on are the rear taillights which look far too angular from what we are seeing so far. It could be that rounded details are simply masked from sight but I hope the rear lights are not completly angular as it will look very similar to the just released E Class which I don't particularly like

I'm totally on board with your assessment regarding the shape. I also like how the rear view just looks chunkier/meatier and has a strong muscular shape. Part of this I think is owing to how rear window on the F10 flows more directly into the trunk line rather than a more drastic change like on the E60, as well as its shorter overhang compared to the E60.

The colours on the two cars are "Sophisto Grau" and "Imperial Blue" colours that have featured on the 5er Gran Turismo and the 7er respectively.

You will have a long wait till you see the final car. Because due to new BMW development protocol we are aiming at a final thorough work over before signing off the car for series production.

The 5er will not be shown in Frankfurt , publically as BMW still have to sell units of the E60 5er in Europe till next Spring and of course the USA till late Spring, early summer. So the car will be revealed in the new year prior to the World Premiere at Geneva 2010.

Die Neue Klasse

The dream of a perfect car is promised much but seldom delivered.
What constitutes the perfect car? The right balance and a perfect synergy of dynamics , looks and efficiency?

BMW will revise the term much used in past success "Die neue Klasse" to welcome it's new F10 5er the 6th generation model of the highly successful and important mid class sedan (or if you perceive history the 7th generation if you include the predecessor to the 5er the BMW 1500.

The new 5er will of course replace the successful and avantgarde looking E60 series of the BMW 5er and will be an all new car from the ground up although with the advent of the BMW 5er Gran Turismo although a member of the same family on the exterior surface there are few areas shared with the 5er . Door Mirrors , Side indicator lights and door handles are the relatively evident components indentified between the 5er and the 5er Gran Turismo.

Every body panel is unique to the 5er as BMW claim the 5er Gran Turismo is a stand alone premium concept. The new 5er in design brief was to produce a car that looks expensive but more modern and proportionate than a typical mid segment sedan.
The low roofline and short overhangs are typical of this approach and in general the car is evenly proportioned with a wider track to accomodate larger wheelarches which was a visual problem with the E60 when run on 16" or 17" wheels because it made the car look heavy which meant to have the car looking perfect the optional 18" wheels had to be applied to show the proportions of the modern appearence of the E60.

The 5er preserves the exclusivity of a new BMW and avoids duplicating the 7er's look as a smaller 7er or the phrase known as "One sausage different lengths" BMW have made the new 5er express a dynamic looking appearence that will not only be individual from it's inhouse family but also amongst it's competitors. The more dynamic styling expresses an intent to disguise the heavy look seen in a mid segment sedan. The wider track also contributes to the integrated wider twin kidney grille. More compact but wider than the 5er Gran Turismo or the BMW 7er.
The wider grille adds more visual to the cars low and wide appearence.

To make the car really stand out will be in the driving and the reduction of weight from one generation to the next. BMW needed a new solution that would help take weight from it's cars and the inclusion of a press hardening process at the 5er's production base will make this highly evident. Body shells and platforms can be made lighter and stronger using this new process. additional areas of the car such as water pumps and transmission cases and suspension mounts have also been made out of lighter materials with the new car retaining it's typical BMW 50/50 Weight distribution.

Efficient Dynamics will be highly featured in the next generation 5er with the usual features now taken for granted but new developments will also feature such as specially designed aerodynamically designed wheels that will now become a cornerstone of Efficient Dynamics.
These are very important because they help with the airflow around the car and contributes to improvements in fuel efficiency.

In light of future legislation BMW have been following especially in regards to the outcome of incentives to people who buy cleaner cars for city environments and the answer BMW have been development is the next phase of it's Active Hybrid series.
BMW will offer two Active Hybrid 5er's one will use the same "mild" hybrid technology as the 7er - The Active Hybrid 5 and the other The Active Hybrid 5d, will use the same system as the Active Hybrid X6 but will replace the V8 for a 3.0d.

Taking into consideration the excellent commendations taken to the 5er Gran Turismo , Interior quality is one feature BMW have taken very close scrutiny to. Although there are some marginal differences in appearance from the Gran Turismo for example the driver is not as semi commanding as the GT and they do not inherit the shelf like ridge which will be a more of a facia than a ridge. The interior takes it's cues from the 7er as a beginning but since the interior has been praised for it's egronomics and design it is only fitting the 5er receives the same kind of dashboard.
Quality will be on the same level and premise as the 5er Gran Turismo meaning high quality of materials , high quality graphics and superior solid construction.

BMW knows where the 5er should be positioned when it comes to dynamics and as an evolutionary cycle other cars come along some good , some not so good to take the crown. And if you factor in the approach some manufacturers go to lengths to strengthen their sporting credentials when their cars are anything but. BMW has focused on this as a priority for the new 5er and have developed a very athletic car with deeply disguised sporting intentions. There are some cars out there that look like mundane barges but have a very jekyll and hyde character when you drive them it's this that BMW want you to see when you see the 5er that it looks dynamic, it looks sporting but is it?

Take your seat.

By working with lighter materials especially within the suspension have allowed the engineers to offer a car that has a character you would only expect with a BMW but with a few surprises especially within the steering and composure , BMW want to retain the 5er's segment with the 5er surpassing the competition that has regained the 5er's crown.

BMW wants the F10 to be seen as car that carries all the BMW attributes from previous 5er generations translated and successfully integrated into the new car. BMW want to get back to building a car that is not just a BMW by name and nature but by going back to the beginning of the 1500 Neue Klasse and BMW's traditional values as a different kind of car
company.

I have to see the whole thing to make my final judgement!!! I mean the stupid commo needs to come off, what are they waiting for??? Would love to see the sports package on this, but if it looks anything like the 7 watch out im in....

Ive seen probably every single spyshot there is for the F10 and I can't say I've seen a bad angle yet. I think we've all seen enough pics now where you can pretty much make out the exact shape of the body. Only thing left are the smaller details -- lights especially will be important in how the end product looks. But judging by the latest BMWs like the Z4 and 7-series I don't think we'll be disappointed by the lighting elements and shapes!

One thing I'm curious though is the wheels. In these pics http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292201 we saw some great looking wheels also on a 550i which I hoped would be standard on the 550. But the pics posted in this thread has less impressive wheels... wonder why the difference.

I think the wheels difference is because this is an FEP car so its basicly a production car, so on that line of thinking I assume they are testing a 5er with both Sport package (what was on that truck) and one with premium package (the one we see now). I love the sport package but these standard wheels arent bad at all as far as stock wheels are concerned. Like scott26 said, this car looks alot better on small wheels then the previous gen car.